


she can't help but amaze me

by honey_eyed



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Athlete Korra (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Not Beta Read, Slice of Life, Wish Fulfillment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 08:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19247506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_eyed/pseuds/honey_eyed
Summary: Asami resists the urge to check her phone again. The message isn't going to change from the last time she looked at it, less than a minute ago.I won't be able to make it tonight after allSorry baby :(





	she can't help but amaze me

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes life gets in the way. I wish it didn't. (This is just pure projection and wishful thinking, if that wasn't clear already.)
> 
> Title from a Luke Combs song.

Asami resists the urge to check her phone again. The message isn't going to change from the last time she looked at it, less than a minute ago.

_I won't be able to make it tonight after all  
Sorry baby :(_

Instead, she busies herself with... well... nothing. Oh, there are things she needs to do, some urgently—homework, packing for her trip, getting some  _sleep_ , more homework—but she doesn't want to do any of that. What she really wants to do is curl up with her girlfriend and just  _be_. 

Not that she holds it against Korra, of course. The last qualifying meet of the season only finished this morning, and she knows Korra is absolutely exhausted. It's hard enough being an athlete at the level she's at, but adding captain on top of that means that Korra spends most meets chasing after her teammates to ensure they're going to the right events at the right times and are hydrated and well fed. You'd expect more from college athletes, but that never seems to hold true. And on top of that, Asami recognizes that sometimes life gets in the wayof even the best laid plans

She just wishes it wouldn't. She leaves for her trip tomorrow and she'll be gone for over a week. It won't be the longest they've gone without seeing each other, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck.

Asami pulls up a social media app and scrolls for a moment, then closes it. Tries another, only to find that she's already caught up with that feed. Puts her phone down. Doesn't think about Korra's text, or her own response. She pretty sure it didn't come across as too disappointed or needy, but she can't really know. Asami's better at hiding things via text than Korra is, generally, but she isn't always good enough to fool her girlfriend.

How is it she has nothing to  _do?_

Besides, she quickly amends, all of the things she ought to be doing.

In the end, she just climbs onto her bed and situates herself among the pillows at the head of the mattress. It doesn't hold a candle to being with Korra, but it's enough to help her relax.

But now, without anything to distract her, Asami finds herself fixating on the lingering, lurking weight in her chest. It's not sadness, not really, and it isn't pure disappointment. It's merely some nebulous feeling that's taken up residence behind her sternum and, from the feel of things, is going to make itself at home in her heart and stomach soon too.

Asami lets her eyes drift closed. Maybe it'll help if she just goes to sleep...

She floats in a blank gray world for a long time, not really asleep but close enough for her tastes. There's a distant ache in her neck that's going to make a nuisance of itself in a few hours and her stomach has the hollow feeling that accompanies not enough food, but none of that is really present. She cocooned in softness and warmth and that's what matters.

A key clicks in the lock.

It registers even in her dozing state. A lock? Who—?

Asami shifts herself as a weight settles itself on the other side of the bed. A hand brushes hair back off of her forehead and her eyes struggle to open.

Even with half of her face smooshed into a pillow, she still recognizes that smile.

"Korra?" she says, voice thick with sleep. It's probably unintelligible, but Korra seems to catch her meaning regardless.

"Hey sunshine," Korra says softly. Her hand moves from Asami's forehead down to cup her cheek and jaw. "How are you?"

Asami, still trying to untangle what's happening in her sleep-laden mind, pushes up onto one elbow. She peers up at Korra. 

"What're you doing here?" She squints at nothing, trying to concentrate. "You're tired, you should be sleeping."

Korra shifts, doing something with her feet that Asami can't quite grasp, and then there's twin thumps as her shoes hit the ground.

"Scoot over, bed hog." Korra nudges her until Asami, finally feeling like most of a real person, moves onto the side that Korra has assigned to be hers. It is Asami's bed, and normally she sleeps where Korra is making herself comfortable, but she can never say no to those big blue eyes and Korra's constant need to sleep both on her left side and with her back to the wall.

"But—"

"Shh." Korra nestles down next to Asami, her knees drawn up over Asami's and her arms folded between their torsos. She intertwines their hands. "You were sad, don't try to tell me that you're not. I can recognize sad punctuation when I see it."

That's absolutely ridiculous, but also not wrong. Asami squeezes her eyes shut and tries to push down the guilt for making Korra come here when she's had an overwhelming weekend and a 9 AM class tomorrow. She should've done a better job of hiding it, Korra doesn't need to deal with her vague, indefinable sadness—

"Hey, hey." A hand, rough and warm, on her face. Korra's forehead against her own. "It's okay, you didn't trick me into coming over. I wanted to see you, baby, I promise. Hey, you don't have to cry—"

Asami realizes there are tears on her cheeks, and more leaking out of her eyes without a single noise leaving her. She doesn't know when they started. 

Korra shushes her gently until the crying stops, wiping away tears and smoothing a hand up and down Asami's arm and side. Asami keeps her eyes closed, feeling wrung out and exhausted without having done much of anything to earn such a feeling.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, voice breaking. "I don't know why—"

"It's alright," Korra tells her. She shifts until she can press a kiss to Asami's forehead, then her nose, then her chin. "Can I kiss you?"

Asami considers it. Shakes her head. She's not ready for a kiss yet.

"Okay." Quiet, with only the sounds of their breathing and the occasionally sniff from Asami. "I love you, sunshine, so much. I'm sorry you're not feeling well."

Asami wriggles forward on the bed until she can wedge her head under Korra's. It hot and dark, and she won't be able to breathe well for long, but she feels safe down here.

"Thank you for coming over," she says, trusting that Korra can hear her still. "I missed you."

"I know, I missed you too. I'm glad I'm here."

Asami is glad too, and more grateful than she can put into words right now. She just hopes that Korra understands. Asami thinks, maybe, that she does.

They lay together like that for a long time, tangled up so closely that Asami can feel Korra's pulse better than her own. And it's not perfect, but it's better.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate account for posting stuff that I just need to get out of my system without friends irl seeing it, but I will still see and cherish every single comment and kudos.
> 
> love,  
> honey


End file.
